editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Rob Stein is a correspondent and senior editor on NPR's science desk.An award-winning science journalist with more than 25 years of experience, Stein mostly covers health and medicine. He tends to focus on stories that illustrate the intersection of science, health, politics, social trends, ethics, and federal science policy. He tracks genetics, stem cells, cancer research, women's health issues and other science, medical, and health policy news.Before NPR, Stein worked at The Washington Post for 16 years, first as the newspaper's science editor and then as a national health reporter. Earlier in his career, Stein spent about four years as an editor at NPR's science desk. Before that, he was a science reporter for United Press International (UPI) in Boston and the science editor of the international wire service in Washington.Stein is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He completed a journalism fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health, a program in scienceNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Rob SteinWed, 05 Oct 2016 01:20:48 +0000Rob Steinhttp://waer.org
Rob SteinYoshinori Ohsumi of the Tokyo Institute of Technology has won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries about "autophagy" — a fundamental process cells use to degrade and recycle parts of themselves.Ohsumi, 71, is a professor emeritus at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Yokohama, Japan. As the sole winner, Ohsumi will receive more than $930,000.Ohsumi's work opened the path to understanding how cells adapt to starvation and respond to infection, according to statement from the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute.Mutations in the genes that control autophagy can lead to a variety of conditions, including cancer, type 2 diabetes and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimers, according to the announcement.Autophagy, a term that comes from Greek words for "self-eating," is a basic process cells need to function properly."Without autophagy, our cells won't survive," says Juleen Zierath, who chaired the committee that selected Ohsumi. "WeJapanese Biologist Wins Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicinehttp://waer.org/post/japanese-biologist-wins-nobel-prize-medicine-or-physiology
55666 as http://waer.orgMon, 03 Oct 2016 10:19:00 +0000Japanese Biologist Wins Nobel Prize In Physiology Or MedicineRob SteinMen who may have been exposed to the Zika virus should wait at least six months before trying to conceive a child with a partner, regardless of whether they ever had any symptoms, federal health officials are recommending.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously recommended that only men with Zika symptoms had to wait that long. Those who may have been exposed to Zika but never developed any symptoms were told to hold off on trying to conceive for just eight weeks.But on Friday the agency published revised recommendations based on new evidence indicating the Zika virus can remain in semen longer than had been thought and can be spread by men even if they don't have symptoms."The updated recommendations incorporate what's been learned since the previous guidance was released," the CDC said in a statement announcing the change."The new time period for couples to wait to attempt conception when the man has possible Zika exposure but no symptoms [is] expected toCDC Tells Men At Risk Of Zika To Put Off Procreation For 6 Monthshttp://waer.org/post/cdc-tells-men-risk-zika-put-procreation-6-months
55573 as http://waer.orgFri, 30 Sep 2016 18:19:00 +0000CDC Tells Men At Risk Of Zika To Put Off Procreation For 6 MonthsRob SteinFederal health officials are urging all Americans to get their flu shots as soon as possible, and are especially concerned that too few elderly people are getting vaccinated."Flu is serious. Flu is unpredictable," Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters during a joint briefing Thursday with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. "Flu often does not get enough respect."While the influenza virus causes relatively mild illness in most people, the disease can lead to tens of thousands of deaths during severe flu seasons, Frieden noted. About 100 children die each year from the flu.The CDC and other infectious disease specialists are concerned by a recent drop in seasonal flu vaccination. About 45 percent of the U.S. population got vaccinated against the virus last year, which was down 1.5 percentage points from the previous year.The largest decrease was among people ages 50 and older. There was a 3.4 percentage-point dropCDC Urges Americans To Get A Flu Shot As Soon As Possiblehttp://waer.org/post/cdc-urges-americans-get-flu-shot-soon-possible
55531 as http://waer.orgThu, 29 Sep 2016 17:22:00 +0000CDC Urges Americans To Get A Flu Shot As Soon As PossibleRob SteinA doctor who treats infertility in New York City says he has helped a couple have the first baby purposefully created with DNA from three different adults.John Zhang of the New Hope Fertility Center in Manhattan traveled to Mexico earlier this year to perform a procedure for a couple from Jordan that enabled them to have the baby in May, according to a clinic spokesman.Zhang performed the procedure in the hopes of helping the couple, who the clinic declined to identify, have a healthy baby. The couple had lost their first two children to Leigh syndrome, an inherited neurological disorder.The idea of creating babies this way to help prospective parents who come from families plagued by genetic disorders has long been controversial. In February, a 12-member panel assembled by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine outlined a plan for how scientists could ethically pursue the research.The Food and Drug Administration had requested the report after two other groups ofNew York Fertility Doctor Says He Created Baby With 3 Genetic Parentshttp://waer.org/post/new-york-fertility-doctor-says-he-created-baby-3-genetic-parents
55463 as http://waer.orgTue, 27 Sep 2016 22:38:00 +0000New York Fertility Doctor Says He Created Baby With 3 Genetic ParentsRob SteinA scientist in Sweden has started trying to edit the DNA in healthy human embryos, NPR has learned.The step by the developmental biologist Fredrik Lanner makes him the first researcher known to attempt to modify the genes of healthy human embryos. That has long been considered taboo because of safety and ethical concerns.Lanner is attempting to edit genes in human embryos to learn more about how the genes regulate early embryonic development. He hopes the work could lead to new ways to treat infertility and prevent miscarriages. He also hopes to help scientists learn more about embryonic stem cells so they can someday use them to treat many diseases.The fear is that Lanner's work could open the door to others attempting to use genetically modified embryos to make babies.Making changes to the DNA in human embryos could accidentally introduce an error into the human gene pool, inadvertently creating a new disease that would be passed down for generations, critics say.Some also worry theBreaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryoshttp://waer.org/post/breaking-taboo-swedish-scientist-seeks-edit-dna-healthy-human-embryos
55308 as http://waer.orgThu, 22 Sep 2016 09:07:00 +0000Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human EmbryosRob SteinHundreds of clinics around the country are offering to treat a long list of health problems with stem cells.The clinics claim that stem cells found in fat tissue, blood, bone marrow and even placentas can help people suffering from arthritic joints and torn tendons to more serious medical problems, including spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease and strokes. Some even claim the cells can help children with autism.But leading stem cell researchers say there's not enough evidence to support the clinics' claims.Doctors have long used stem cells from bone marrow and blood to treat some types of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma. And stem cells are being widely studied as potential treatments for other health problems. Researchers hope stem cells may someday make it possible to repair or replace damaged cells, tissues and even entire organs — but there are very few treatments currently available that have been proven safe and effective."There's a lot of sketchy stuff going on," saysResearchers Question Safety, Value Of Untested Stem Cell Treatmentshttp://waer.org/post/researchers-question-safety-value-untested-stem-cell-treatments
54648 as http://waer.orgMon, 05 Sep 2016 09:03:00 +0000Researchers Question Safety, Value Of Untested Stem Cell TreatmentsRob SteinMosquitoes have begun spreading the Zika virus in a second part of Miami — the popular tourist destination of Miami Beach — Florida officials announced Friday.As a result, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its advice to travelers, advising pregnant women to avoid the parts of Miami Beach where the virus is spreading. In addition, women and men who have traveled to the area should wait at least eight weeks to try to get pregnant even if they didn't catch Zika during their visit.The agency also went a step further, advising pregnant women and their sexual partners "who are concerned about potential Zika virus exposure" that they "may also consider postponing nonessential travel to all parts of Miami-Dade county."That decision to issue a warning about the entire city was prompted by the agency's concern that there may be other outbreaks in other parts of Miami-Dade that haven't been identified yet, CDC Director Thomas Frieden told reporters during a briefing.New Zika Outbreak Hits Popular Tourist Destination Of Miami Beachhttp://waer.org/post/new-zika-outbreak-hits-popular-tourist-destination-miami-beach
54014 as http://waer.orgFri, 19 Aug 2016 18:14:00 +0000New Zika Outbreak Hits Popular Tourist Destination Of Miami BeachRob SteinWhen parents are trying to keep their children safe, one of the things many do is to transport their kids in a stroller or baby carrier.While strollers and carriers are generally safe when used properly, a new study is a reminder that even these devices can be dangerous, especially when parents don't use them properly.Almost 361,000 children ages 5 and younger were treated in U.S. emergency rooms between 1990 and 2010 for injuries they suffered in connection with a stroller or carrier, according to the study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics.That works out to about two children every hour, or about 50 a day, according to the analysis of data collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.Most of the injuries occurred when a child fell from the stroller or carrier or when the stroller or carrier tipped over."As parents we use these devices to transport our most precious cargo. And it's easy to look away just for a second. We want to encourage parents toFalls From Strollers And Baby Carriers Can Cause Serious Injurieshttp://waer.org/post/falls-strollers-and-baby-carriers-can-cause-serious-injuries
53961 as http://waer.orgThu, 18 Aug 2016 16:55:00 +0000Falls From Strollers And Baby Carriers Can Cause Serious InjuriesRob SteinThe federal government announced plans Thursday to lift a moratorium on funding of certain controversial experiments that use human stem cells to create animal embryos that are partly human.The National Institutes of Health is proposing a new policy to permit scientists to get federal money to make embryos, known as chimeras, under certain carefully monitored conditions.The NIH imposed a moratorium on funding these experiments in September because they could raise ethical concerns.One issue is that scientists might inadvertently create animals that have partly human brains, endowing them with some semblance of human consciousness or human thinking abilities. Another is that they could develop into animals with human sperm and eggs and breed, producing human embryos or fetuses inside animals or hybrid creatures.But scientists have argued that they could take steps to prevent those outcomes and that the embryos provide invaluable tools for medical research.For example, scientists hope toNIH Plans To Lift Ban On Research Funds For Part-Human, Part-Animal Embryoshttp://waer.org/post/nih-plans-lift-ban-research-funds-part-human-part-animal-embryos
53401 as http://waer.orgThu, 04 Aug 2016 13:05:00 +0000NIH Plans To Lift Ban On Research Funds For Part-Human, Part-Animal EmbryosRob SteinCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit MONTAGNE, HOST: NPR has learned that the National Institutes of Health plans to lift a moratorium on funding some very controversial experiments. These experiments use genetic engineering and human stem cells to create embryos that are part human, part animal. Scientists hope the so-called chimera embryos would lead to medical breakthroughs. They also raise some troubling ethical questions, and NPR health correspondent Rob Stein is in our studio to talk about this. Good morning. ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Good morning, Renee. MONTAGNE: What exactly do scientists what to do? STEIN: So scientists want to use new genetic engineering techniques to make changes in the DNA in animal embryos to basically edit the letters in the animal's genes. And then they want to take human stem cells and put them inside these animal embryos in the hopes that the human stem cells, which can become any kind of cell or tissue in the body, will become integrated into the embryosNIH Plans To End Moratorium On Funding Controversial Chimera Researchhttp://waer.org/post/nih-reviews-moratorium-funding-controversial-chimera-research
53393 as http://waer.orgThu, 04 Aug 2016 10:41:00 +0000NIH Plans To End Moratorium On Funding Controversial Chimera ResearchRob SteinHealth officials are investigating a Zika virus infection in Florida that could be the first case in which someone caught the virus by being bitten by a mosquito in the United States.In a statement posted on its website Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health says the "possible non-travel related case of Zika" occurred in Miami-Dade County.That means it's possible that the infected person did not catch the virus while traveling in another country where the virus is spreading. Rather, the infection might have been acquired from an infected mosquito.But there's also the possibility that the Florida case may have occurred another way, such as sexual contact.The statement does not mention sexual transmission, and officials did not provide any additional information in response to a request from Shots."We do not have additional information to share at this time," Brad Dalton, deputy press secretary in the department's office of communications, said in an email. He added that theFlorida Officials Probe Zika Case That May Not Be Related To Travelhttp://waer.org/post/florida-officials-probe-zika-case-may-not-be-travel-related
52712 as http://waer.orgWed, 20 Jul 2016 16:02:00 +0000Florida Officials Probe Zika Case That May Not Be Related To TravelRob SteinWhen Sarah Gardner was 34, she started getting worried about whether she'd ever have a baby. So she took a test that aims to measure a woman's fertility.The results terrified her. They indicated she had the fertility of a woman a decade older — a woman in her mid-40s."I was devastated," Gardner says. The news hit her especially hard because she was in the midst of breaking up with her longtime boyfriend."I knew that being a mom was something I wanted in my life," she says. "And I knew that it would be very difficult to achieve that, given that I was about to be single. So, yeah, I was devastated."In her hunt for a solution, Gardner eventually found Dr. Sherman Silber, a surgeon who runs the Infertility Center of St. Louis. As Shots reported in 2012, when we first met Gardner and her doctor, Silber does something controversial among infertility specialists — he removes and freezes the ovaries of healthy women to put their biological clocks on hold.The idea is that the ovaries can thenTwin Sisters Try To Get Pregnant With Ovaries They Froze In 2012http://waer.org/post/twin-sisters-try-get-pregnant-ovaries-they-froze-2012
52645 as http://waer.orgTue, 19 Jul 2016 08:43:00 +0000Twin Sisters Try To Get Pregnant With Ovaries They Froze In 2012Rob SteinIt's been thought that the Zika virus spreads only through mosquito bites or sexual contact. But someone in Utah appears to have caught Zika another way — while caring for an elderly family member infected with the virus."The new case in Utah is a surprise, showing that we still have more to learn about Zika," Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported Monday.Health officials stressed to reporters in a press briefing that mosquitoes remain the main way that Zika spreads. And there is no evidence at this point that the virus can be spread from one person to another "by sneezing or coughing, routine touching, kissing, hugging or sharing utensils," Dr. Satish Pillai, the CDC's incident manager, told reporters."However, there's a lot we don't know about Zika virus, and we are still doing a lot of investigation into whether Zika can be spread from person to person through contact with a sick person," Pillai said."From what weA Case Of Zika Apparently Spread From A Patient To A Family Caregiverhttp://waer.org/post/case-zika-apparently-spread-patient-family-caregiver
52626 as http://waer.orgMon, 18 Jul 2016 20:12:00 +0000A Case Of Zika Apparently Spread From A Patient To A Family CaregiverRob SteinDoctors have known for some time that a man can spread the Zika virus to a woman through sex. Now officials have documented the first case in which a woman apparently infected a man through unprotected sexual intercourse.The case occurred in New York City when a woman in her 20s returned from a trip to a country where Zika is spreading, according to a report released Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The woman, who was not identified, and a male partner had sex without a condom the day she returned home, according to the report.After the woman developed Zika symptoms, she went to her doctor. Tests showed she was infected with the Zika virus. Her partner, who is also in his 20s, subsequently got sick and tested positive for the virus. He had not traveled outside the United States nor did he have other risk factors for Zika, such as having been bitten by a mosquito."The hypothesis is that this was transmitted sexually, and I think that's probably a prettyFirst Case Reported Of A Woman Infecting A Man With Zika Through Sexhttp://waer.org/post/first-case-reported-woman-infecting-man-zika-through-sex
52500 as http://waer.orgFri, 15 Jul 2016 16:08:00 +0000First Case Reported Of A Woman Infecting A Man With Zika Through SexRob SteinA powerful new technique for changing genes in insects, animals and plants holds great promise, according to a report from an influential panel of scientists released Wednesday. But the group also says it's potentially very dangerous.As such, the report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concludes that it's far too soon to release any organisms altered with the technique, known as a gene drive, into the environment.Even so, scientists should continue conducting experiments using this approach inside laboratories, the report urges. And the panel endorsed the possibility of conducting very controlled studies of creatures altered with a gene drive outside laboratories."There is insufficient evidence available at this time to support the release of gene-drive modified organisms into the environment," the report states. "However, the potential benefits of gene drives for basic and appliedresearch are significant and justify proceeding with laboratory researchNew Genetic Engineering Method Called Promising — And Periloushttp://waer.org/post/new-genetic-engineering-method-called-promising-and-perilous
50960 as http://waer.orgWed, 08 Jun 2016 17:21:00 +0000New Genetic Engineering Method Called Promising — And PerilousRob SteinA group of scientists say they want work toward being able to create a synthetic version of the entire human genetic code in the laboratory.Their hope is that a complete set of synthetic human DNA, known as a genome, could someday lead to important medical breakthroughs."We just had a revolution in our ability to read genomes," says George Church, a geneticist at Harvard University who is part of the group that outlined the plan Thursday in the journal Science. "The same thing is happening now with writing genomes."But science is very far away from being able to create a whole human genome, and the idea of manufacturing human genomes in the lab raises many concerns, critics say."The worry is that we're going to be synthesizing entire optimized human genomes — manufacturing chromosomes that could be used ultimately to produce synthetic human beings that they see as improved models," says Marcy Darnovsky, who heads the Center for Genetics and Society.Scientists first made a syntheticScientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The Labhttp://waer.org/post/scientists-say-they-hope-create-human-genome-lab
50751 as http://waer.orgThu, 02 Jun 2016 20:59:00 +0000Scientists Say They Hope To Create A Human Genome In The LabRob SteinLindsey McFarland was born without a uterus. So she and her husband, Blake, created their family by adopting three boys. But they always dreamed that she could somehow become pregnant and give birth to a baby."We just wanted that experience," Lindsey says. "We wanted that connection."She longed to feel a baby kick and develop inside her. She wanted the thrill of discovering the sex of the fetus during a routine sonogram. She even wanted to go through morning sickness and labor."All of that," says the 26-year-old from Lubbock, Texas. "I wanted to experience all of that."So, when the Cleveland Clinic announced plans to launch the first U.S. study to evaluate womb transplants for women who were born without a uterus or lost theirs to disease, the McFarlands decided Lindsey should volunteer.She underwent a 10-hour operation in February to become the first — and so far only — woman to get a uterine transplant in the United States.Everything went so well that McFarland and her doctors held aA Transplanted Uterus Offers Hope, But Procedure Stirs Debatehttp://waer.org/post/transplanted-uterus-offers-hope-procedure-stirs-debate
50676 as http://waer.orgWed, 01 Jun 2016 09:07:00 +0000A Transplanted Uterus Offers Hope, But Procedure Stirs DebateRob SteinCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Doctors Discover First U.S. Case Of Bacteria Resistant To Last Resort Antibioticshttp://waer.org/post/doctors-discover-first-us-case-bacteria-resistant-last-resort-antibiotics
50489 as http://waer.orgThu, 26 May 2016 20:37:00 +0000Doctors Discover First U.S. Case Of Bacteria Resistant To Last Resort AntibioticsRob SteinCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.FDA Finalizes Rules On E-Cigarettes, Cigars And Hookahshttp://waer.org/post/fda-finalizes-rules-e-cigarettes-cigars-and-hookahs
49637 as http://waer.orgThu, 05 May 2016 14:50:00 +0000FDA Finalizes Rules On E-Cigarettes, Cigars And HookahsRob SteinScientists have been able to make and study human embryos in their labs for decades. But they have never been able to keep them alive outside a woman's womb for more than about a week.That limitation meant scientists were unable to conduct a range of detailed research into early human development.But now researchers say they have discovered a way to keep human embryos alive in the laboratory about a week longer than ever before, and through a critical period of development.It's a step they say will yield important insights into human development and could lead to a better understanding of the factors that cause miscarriages and birth defects."All of this research which we do in the lab should have enormous benefit," says Magdelena Zernicka-Goetz, a professor of developmental biology at the University of Cambridge in England who helped conduct the research.But the advance is reviving a debate about the ethics of conducting experiments on human embryos in the laboratory.Specifically, theAdvance In Human Embryo Research Rekindles Ethical Debatehttp://waer.org/post/advance-human-embryo-research-rekindles-ethical-debate
49590 as http://waer.orgWed, 04 May 2016 17:16:00 +0000Advance In Human Embryo Research Rekindles Ethical Debate